Characterisation of defects in p-GaN by admittance spectroscopy

Mg-doped GaN films have been grown on (0 0 0 1) sapphire using metal organic vapour phase epitaxy. Use of different buffer layer strategies caused the threading dislocation density (TDD) in the GaN to be either approximately 2×10⁹ cm⁻² or 1×10¹⁰ cm⁻². Frequency-dependent capacitance and conductance measurements at temperatures up to 450 K have been used to study the electronic states associated with the Mg doping, and to determine how these are affected by the TDD. Admittance spectroscopy of the films finds a single impurity-related acceptor level with an activation energy of 160±10 meV for [Mg] of about 1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³, and 120±10 eV as the Mg precursor flux decreased. This level is thought to be associated with the Mg acceptor state. The TDD has no discernible effect on the trap detected by admittance spectroscopy. We compare these results with cathodoluminescence measurements reported in the literature, which reveal that most threading dislocations are non-radiative recombination centres, and discuss possible reasons why our admittance spectroscopy have not detected electrically active defects associated with threading dislocations.     

Strain compensated Si/SiGe quantum well and quantum cascade on Si0.5Ge0.5 pseudosubstrate

This study follows up our previous investigation of the valence band (VB) intersubband emission from quantum cascade structures grown lattice matched on Si substrates. Here, Si/Si_1−xGe_x (x=80%) heterostructures are investigated which are deposited by MBE on a virtual substrate of relaxed SiGe containing 50% of Ge. TEM analysis reveal flat and abrupt interfaces for structures grown at temperatures T_growth≈300°C. Intersubband absorption and photoluminescence emission manifest well-defined interfaces and good material quality. The observed intersubband line positions are found to be in good agreement with k·p model calculations for the VB. This is in contrast to the observed type II no phonons recombination which is found at consistently lower energy than expected. Finally, electrically excited intersubband emission from a strain compensated cascade structure containing three periods is presented.     

Investigation of photoluminescence in GaAs quantum well coupled with a ferromagnetic semiconductor layer of (Ga,Mn)As

We have investigated circular-polarized photoluminescence (CPL) from a novel quantum structure in which a ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As is placed adjacent to the GaAs quantum well. By eliminating the contribution of the magneto-circular dichroism effect of the (Ga,Mn)As top layer from the observed CPL, we found a small but nonnegligible contribution of quantum mechanical coupling between the GaAs quantum well states and the spin-polarized states in (Ga,Mn)As.     

Modulation-doping in 3–5 μm GaAs/AlAs/AlGaAs double barrier quantum well infrared photodetectors: an alternative to achieve high photovoltaic performance and high temperature detection

In this work we propose new detector designs, which allow achieving mid-infrared photovoltaic (PV) detection at temperatures as high as 180 K. The devices, which are grown by molecular beam epitaxy, are modulation-doped (MD) double barrier quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) based on AlGaAs/AlAs/GaAs. As the photocurrent spectra and I–V characteristics (in the dark and under infrared illumination) show that the dopant location is a relevant design parameter regarding the performance of PV QWIPs, we begin our work with a comparison of the performance of a set of MD samples (where we have varied the dopant location in the AlGaAs barriers) with respect to a well-doped sample of nominally the same structure. We find that the responsivity and detectivity of the MD devices seem to be higher than those of the well-doped detector, specially when the dopant is located in the substrate-sided barrier. Then, in order to improve the dark current-limited performance, we designed a new set of substrated-sided MD detectors that exhibit an extremely low dark current, even at high temperatures, otherwise no drop in the zero bias peak responsivity. Therefore, the association of the notable PV signal detection in the 3–5 μm range of these MD detectors together with the dark current reduction of the new structures has allowed us to achieve a 140 K zero bias peak responsivity of 0.015 A/W and a 180 K zero bias peak responsivity of 0.01 A/W at 4.4 μm.     

Donor impurity states in direct-gap SiGe quantum well: Applied electric field and quantum size effects

Within the framework of the effective-mass approximation and variational procedure, competition effects between applied electric field and quantum size on donor impurity states in the direct-gap Ge/SiGe quantum well (QW) have been investigated theoretically. Numerical results show that the applied electric field (quantum size) dominates electron and impurity states in direct-gap Ge/SiGe QW with large (small) well width. Moreover, the competition effects also induce that the donor binding energies show obviously different behaviors with respect to electric field in the QW with different well widths. In particular, when the impurity is located at left boundary of the QW, the donor binding energy is insensitive to the variation of well width when well width is large for any electric field case.     

关于RHEED振荡技术优化GaAs(110)量子阱生长的研究

在GaAs(110)衬底上生长的半导体材料有诸多优良性能，使得在非极性GaAs(110)衬底上获得高质量各类异质结材料，成为近年来分子束外延生长关注的课题.考虑GaAs(110)表面是Ga和As共面，最佳生长温度窗口很小；反射式高能电子衍射的(1×1)再构图案对生长温度和V/Ⅲ束流比不敏感，难于通过观察再构图案的变化，准确地找到最佳生长条件.作者在制备GaAs(110)量子阱过程中，观察到反射式高能电子衍射强度振荡呈现出的单双周期变化.这意味着不同工艺条件下，在 GaAs(110)衬底上量子阱有单层和双层两种生长模式.透射电子显微镜和室温光致荧光光谱测量结果表明：在双层生长模式下量子阱样品光学性能较差，而在单层生长模式下量子阱光学性能较好，但是界面会变粗糙.利用这一特点，我们采用反射式高能电子衍射强度振荡技术，找到了一种在GaAs(110)衬底上生长高质量量子阱的可行方法. 关键词： 反射高能电子衍射 量子阱 分子束外延     

Site control of InAs quantum dot nucleation by ex situ electron-beam lithographic patterning of GaAs substrates

Conventional electron-beam lithographic patterning of GaAs substrates followed by reactive-ion etching of small holes has been successfully used to control the nucleation of InAs dots. We have observed >50% single dot occupancy for holes wide and deep and show that the dot occupancy and dot size can be varied by changing the size of the holes. Luminescence from an array of these site-controlled dots has been demonstrated. Thus this use of substrate patterning is a viable technique to controllably place single dots at pre-determined positions in devices.     

有机多层量子阱的能量转移

采用多源有机分子气相沉积系统制备了不同类型的有机多量子阱结构，利用电化学循环伏安法和吸收光谱、荧光光谱研究了量子阱的类型、光致发光的特性.电化学循环伏安法和吸收光谱的测量结果表明，PBD/8-羟基喹啉铝(Alq₃)有机量子阱为Ⅰ型量子阱结构，NPB/Alq₃和BCP/Alq₃有机量子阱为Ⅱ型量子阱结构.荧光光谱的研究结果表明，PBD/Alq₃和BCP/Alq₃量子阱结构可以实现PBD，BCP向Alq₃能量完全转移，而NPB/Alq₃量子阱结构，NPB和Alq₃之间只是部分能量转移.文中对影响能量转移的因素进行了讨论. 关键词： 有机量子阱 能量转移     

Modified five-layer asymmetric coupled quantum well (M-FACQW) for giant negative refractive index change

We have analyzed the electrorefractive properties of a GaAs/AlGaAs modified five-layer asymmetric coupled quantum well (M-FACQW). The theoretical analyses show that the M-FACQW is expected to exhibit a giant negative electrorefractive index change Δn in the transparent-wavelength region away from the absorption edge. The influence of fluctuations in layer thickness on the electrorefractive properties of the M-FACQW was also investigated. Although the fluctuation in layer thickness deteriorates the characteristics of Δn in the M-FACQW, the M-FACQW still maintains a very giant Δn compared with that of a conventional rectangular quantum well without thickness fluctuation. In addition, we have fabricated the M-FACQW with monolayer accuracy by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy, and measured its photoabsorption current. The experimental results are in good agreement with the calculated properties. This indicates that the M-FACQW has great potential for use in ultra-wideband and low-voltage optical modulators and switches.     

Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy of InAs quantum dots on InP with various InAlGaAs barrier thicknesses

The Optical characteristics of InAs quantum dots (QDs) embeded in InAlGaAs on InP have been investigated by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and time-resolved PL. Four different QD samples are grown by using molecular beam epitaxy, and all the QD samples have five-stacked InAs quantum dot layers with a different InAlGaAs barrier thickness. The PL yield from InAs QDs was increased with an increase in the thickness of the InAlGaAs barrier, and the emission peak positions of all InAs QD samples were measured around 1.5 μm at room temperature. The decay time of the carrier in InAs QDs is decreased abruptly in the QD sample with the 5 nm InAlGaAs barrier. This feature is explained by the tunneling and coupling effect in the vertical direction and probably defect generation.     

Interdot carrier's transfer via tunneling pathway studied from photoluminescence spectroscopy

Self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) on GaAs(0 0 1) substrate were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at a growth temperature of 490 °C. Two different families of dots were observed in the atomic force microscopy (AFM) image and ambiguously identified in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Temperature-dependent PL study was carried out in the 8-270 K temperature range. The integrated-PL intensity behavior of the two QDs populations was fit with the help of a rate equations model. It is found that the evolutions of the integrated-PL intensity of the two QDs population were governed by two regimes. The first one occurs in the 8-210 K temperature range and reveals an unusual enhancement of the integrated-PL intensity of the larger QDs (LQDs) class. This was attributed to the carrier supplies from the smaller QDs (SQDs) class via the tunneling process. The second one occurs in the 210-270 K temperature range and shows a common quench of the PL signals of the two QDs families, reflecting the same thermal escape mechanism of carriers.     

Diamagnetic susceptibility of a laser dressed donor in a quantum well

The binding energy of laser dressed donor impurity is calculated under the influence of a magnetic field in a quantum well. The binding energy of the ground state of a donor is investigated, within the single band effective mass approximation, variationally for different concentrations at the well centre. The effect of laser and magnetic fields on diamagnetic susceptibility of the hydrogenic donor is reported. The Landau energy levels of electrons in the quantum well as a function of magnetic field are reported. The results show that the diamagnetic susceptibility (i) decreases drastically as intensity of the laser field increases (ii) increases with the magnetic field strength (iii) decreases as the Al-concentration decreases and (iv) a variation of increase in binding energy is observed when non-parabolicity is included and this effect is predominant for narrow wells. Our results are in good agreement with previous investigations for other heterostructures in the presence of laser intensity.     

Controlled stacking growth of uniform InAs quantum dots by molecular beam epitaxy

Double-stacked InAs quantum dots (QDs) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy via Stranski–Krastanov growth mode. Transition of the facet formation from {1 3 6} plane to {1 1 0} plane was observed during the stacking growth of InAs QDs by reflection high-energy electron-beam diffraction. The enhanced growth rate and the different facet formation in the stacking growth were caused by tensile strain of the GaAs underlying layer. Low arsenic pressure and low growth rate conditions played an important role for a perfect coupling and uniformity in the size of the stacked QDs. The narrow photoluminescence line width of 17.6 meV was successfully obtained from the stacked InAs QDs.     

Sharp n-type doping profiles in Si/SiGe heterostructures produced by atomic hydrogen etching

Surface segregation of group V dopant during thin film epitaxy of Si/SiGe heterostructures causes severe limitation on the sharpness of n-type doping profiles in pn junctions. Existing techniques for removal of surface segregated arsenic suffer from either high thermal budget or aggressive (ex situ) wet chemical etching. An in situ low temperature method is clearly desirable, particularly for device structures with high Ge content such as resonant tunnelling diodes, in order to minimize diffusion of the matrix elements as well as maintain structural integrity. In situ etching by atomic hydrogen is shown to be ideal for this purpose. The reaction mechanism ensures that this can only be a low temperature process and the method is shown to be highly effective and selective in the removal of surface segregated As. In comparison with other techniques, atomic hydrogen etching is also shown to be less aggressive and has a smaller impact on the surface/interface quality.     

On the growth conditions of 3–5 μm well-doped AlGaAs/AlAs/GaAs infrared detectors and its relation to the photovoltaic effect studied by transmission electron microscopy

In this work, we investigate the influence of the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth conditions (substrate temperature and arsenic flux) on the photovoltaic (PV) behavior and asymmetric characteristics of nominally identical well-doped AlGaAs/AlAs/GaAs double-barrier quantum well infrared photodetectors. This PV effect, already studied and reported in the literature, has been attributed to unintentional asymmetries of the potential profile introduced during the MBE growth process; in particular, due to an inequivalence of the AlAs layer properties or, more plausibly, to local space-charge regions originating from silicon segregation. The different “unintended” asymmetries for the samples considered in this work, validated by both dark-current and responsivity measurements, point at first glance to the existence of structural dissimilarities affecting the PV response. Hence, in order to clarify the influence of the suggested AlAs barriers inequivalence or interface roughness and quality in the origin of the PV signal we have performed a direct layer structural characterization by cross-section high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The analysis yields that regardless of the different growth conditions, the layers properties are similar, suggesting they play a minor role in the origin of the PV effect. Also this characterization tool may provide a further evidence of Si segregation being the main responsible. Concerning its growth conditions dependence, it seems that the As flux, and not only the substrate temperature, may affect Si segregation and hence the PV response.     

The effect of laser field intensity on polarizability in a quantum well

A systematic study of binding energy of the ground state of a hydrogenic donor in a quantum well is calculated in the presence of a uniform electric field for different measure of laser intensities. Binding energy of the ground state of a donor is calculated, within the effective mass approximation, with the Bessel and Airy functions. Polarizability of a laser dressed donor impurity in the presence of electric field is reported. It is observed that the polarizability (i) increases as intensity of the laser field increases (ii) increases with the electric field strength and (iii) increases drastically when both the fields are applied. The dependence of the donor binding energy on the well width, the laser field intensity and the electric field is discussed. Our results are in good agreement with the previous investigations for other heterostructures in the presence of laser intensity.     

One-dimensional single (In,Ga)As quantum dot arrays formed by self-organized anisotropic strain engineering

Well-defined one-dimensional single (In,Ga)As quantum dot (QD) arrays have been successfully formed on planar singular GaAs (1 0 0) in molecular beam epitaxy by self-organized anisotropic strain engineering of an (In,Ga)As/GaAs quantum wire (QWR) superlattice (SL) template. The distinct stages of template formation, which govern the uniformity of the QD arrays, are directly imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM results reveal that excess strain accumulation causes fluctuations of the QWR template and the QD arrays. By reducing the amount of (In,Ga)As and increasing the GaAs separation layer thickness in each SL period, the uniformity of the QD arrays dramatically improves. The single QD arrays are straight over more than 1 μm and extended to 10 μm length. Capped QD arrays show clear photoluminescence emission up to room temperature.     

外电场对直接带隙Ge量子阱中的光学性质的影响

在有效质量近似下,考虑到外电场的影响,详细研究了直接带隙Ge/GeSi量子阱中带间光跃迁吸收系数和阈值能量随量子阱阱宽,外电场强度的变化情况。结果表明：随着外电场的增强,带间光跃迁吸收强度会逐渐减弱,阈值能量减小,吸收曲线向低能方向移动,出现了红移现象。此外,当量子阱比较大时,外电场对量子阱中带间光跃迁阈值能量的影响更加明显。     

分子束外延生长的(GaAs1－xSbx/InyGa1－yAs)/GaAs量子阱光致发光谱研究

报道了(GaAs_1-xSb_x/In_yGa_1-yAs)/Ga As量子阱结构的分子束外延生长与光致发光谱研究结果.变温与变激发功率光致发光谱的研究表明了此结构 为二型量子阱发光性质.讨论了光谱双峰结构的跃迁机制.通过优化生长条件，获得了室温1 31μm发光. 关键词： 分子束外延 量子阱 二型发光